page_title: African military systems after 1900
section_title: 21st century military challenges
hierarchical_section_title: African military systems after 1900 / The post-Cold War era / 21st century military challenges
caption_attribution_description: English: DOUALA, Cameroon — Army Gen. William "Kip" Ward greets officers of the Cameroonian military after his arrival Feb. 21 on his first trip to Cameroon as the commander of U.S. Africa Command. While in Cameroon Ward discussed bi-lateral military relations, and AFRICOM's role and mission with Cameroonian President Paul Biya, Prime Minister Ephraim Inoni and other senior Cameroonian officials. He also visited the USS Fort McHenry, command ship of Africa Partnership Station (APS). "Africa Partnership Station is a good example of what AFRICOM is all about," Ward said following the visit. "This U.S. Naval Forces Europe-led initiative provides for security of the people and assures long-term development. To date, APS operators have trained more than 600 African volunteer sailors from nine countries in areas such a leadership, Maritime Security Awareness, small boat handling, and martial arts."
context_page_description: As the 20th century began, most of Africa, with the exception of Ethiopia, Somalia and Liberia, was under colonial rule. By the 1980s, most nations were independent. Military systems reflect this evolution in several ways:
  Growth of indigenous knowledge and skill in handling modern arms
  Established colonial armies of mainly indigenous troops officered by Europeans
  Rebellions, resistance and "mop up" operations
  Weakening of European colonial power due to World War I and World War II
  Decolonization and the transition to the militaries of the new African states
  Wars of national liberation across the continent particularly the northern and southern regions
  Frequent tribal or civil wars across the continent
  Frequent military coups against the post colonial regimes
  Continued strength of regional powers like Egypt and South Africa
  The rise of asymmetric forces and failed states
  The rise of international forces and bureaucracies
  Continued challenges and evolution into the 21st century
  Below are the major activities and events that shaped African military systems into the 20th and 21st century.
context_section_description: The military challenge in Africa is huge in the post-Cold War era. It is a continent covering some 22% of the world's land area, has an estimated population of some 800 million, is governed by 53 different states, and is made up of hundreds of different ethnicities and languages. According to a 2007 Whitehall Report, (The African Military in the 21st Century, Tswalu Dialogue), some issues affecting African militaries in the 21st century include:
  The continued need to build military proficiency and effectiveness
  The threat of rebellions, coups and the need for stability
  Unrealistic expectations by the West about what Africa should be doing about continental defence and security issues
  The relevance of West Point or Sandhurst style training and thinking to the African context
  The weak and fragmented nature of many collective security type arrangements – such as the AU (African Union) – weak clones of the NATO concept
  The challenge of terrorism asymmetric warfare and how African forces shape themselves to meet them
  The danger of giving militaries a bigger role in nation building and development. In Africa such activity touches on political power.
  The appropriateness of international peacekeeping forces and bureaucracies in parts of Africa, with the mixed record of UN peacekeeping in the Congo or Rwanda raising doubts about their efficacy
caption: The large number of international military efforts in Africa has raised questions as to their efficacy.
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